Char cloth plus

[tombear]

I know this will be considered a pointles exercise by, well by any one with sense but in a moment of idleness i did it any way.

Having made some flax linen char cloth I decided to see if I could make it easier to catch a spark. This was mainly because (a) I had some spare (b) it seemed remarkably strong, (c) I had the dregs of a strong potasium nitrate solution in a jam jar and (d) the linen rope I turned into slow match takes a lot better spark than just the charred rope.

I've dunked a dozen or so pieces in the liquid and dried them on a tin tray. They didn't come apart and when we get a day when it's suitable outside I will try a comparitive test with the undoctored stuff.

ATB

Tom

[bushwacker bob]

It will go up something like your Mrs when she finds out what you did with her table cloth.
If the solution was left to evaporate you may find that some crystals have formed and may fizz a bit. Itr will also burn faster than normal. take pictures.

[g4ghb]

how you happened to have a a jam jar with dregs of a strong potasium nitrate solution is what i'd like to know!

[decorum]

I know this will be considered a pointles exercise by, well by any one with sense ... I had the dregs of a strong potasium nitrate solution in a jam jar and ... I will try a comparitve test with the undoctored stuff.

Try it on birch polypore

[tombear]

Yup, will get the eldest to use the digi camera to make short videos of it as previously our attempts to catch images of the sparks have come to nought. I then need to learn how to capture stills from it but thats a different problem.

The slow match (FYI linen rope from bondage sites is a hell of a lot cheaper than that from replica military drum makers, the only two sources I could find) I made does indeed spark occasionally, I wasn't sure if this was normal or because I over egged the pudding.

On this vague note I discovered that they used to make dedicated tin pots for the melting of the sulphur to make matches/spunks. The scanners not up and running otherwise I would put up a pic. I'm going to try and trace down the original to see if I can find the dimensions and any details, Currently I'm using a test tube pilfered from the lads' chemistry set. The tin has a base wider than the walls and there is like a funnel like inner edge at the top that narrows the hole at the top by about a third.

Cheers!

ATB

Tom

PS and yes I have received strong words from herself about experimenting indoors, thats the only problem with having your Shed on the top floor rather than outside.

[tombear]

I've had today off to look after 2 snotty kids and couldn't resist playing with the new toy.

And for the first time ever I properly made fire from a flint and steel.
I am absolutely chuffed to bits!

I used Mike's replica 18th C English steel, a gun flint and a piece of the flax linen char. It caught on the 4th or 5th blow , I bundled it up and blew until there was a flame and then lit a sulphur match from it, getting a good lung full in the process.

Just to prove it wasn't a fluke I called the kids up to do it with witnesses who were suitably impressed and lit the stub of the match with it, although i did somewhat singe the face fur (which serves me right for showing off).

I then tried a piece of the doctored char and it caught about as easily but the ember did then spread better (with the odd hiss and flare) and produced a hotter heat source to light something else from. Once the spark had hit it needed almost no coaxing, just wadding into a ball.

Pics to follow when the eldest is home to take pics.

With a bigger flint I think I can get the tinder to light in the box rather than holding it folded up next to the flint, which I found very fiddly and discouraged me from giving it a real fast swing.

Flax linen worked a hell of a lot better than char made from cotton, I will say that. Previously I used 100% cotton from jeans or old sheets and I could get a glow but no flame. No doubt as I practice I will able to do it but its certainly good for morale to be able to use the best materials to start with.

ATB

Tom

The smell of sulphur and burning cloth (and beard) doesn't linger does it?!

[sparkplug]

It's a great feeling isn't it

I'm pretty new to this and got such a buzz from my first flint and steel fire.

I'm interested in the Flax linen though - not tried that. Where did you get yours from?

I've seen a technique which might be helpful for you to try. Instead of holding the flint in one hand with the charcloth on top and striking with the steel with the other hand (which is what I'm assuming you are doing) you could lay the charcloth on a flat surface (tree stump or whatever) and hold the steel with one hand resting it on the surface for extra support. You then strike the (fixed) steel with the flint in a downwards motion at a fairly acute angle. The spark is sent down onto your charcloth and the rest you know...

Worth a go?

[tombear]

Yup! much more satisfying and a hell of a lot less knackering than the first and last time I made fire with friction!

The flax linen I got as scraps from a member of the forum but I have acquired bigger pieces from charity shops, it's popular for those embroidery kits (usually cushion covers) that seem to end up a quarter done in the bric-a-brac sections. I've made a couple of haversacks from them.


The method you described is certainly one I'm going to try and by a quirk of fate as you were typing it in I was reading pretty much the same in the " Artificial light" section of "Iron and Brass implements of the English House" just now! How's that for a coincidence?!

I picked up a copy in Bristol last weekend and its a fantastic book with page after page of drawings.

Things will be a bit easier when I have some bigger lumps of flint to use as I'm finding gun flints a bit fiddly.

ATB

Tom

[sparkplug]

If finding flint is a problem tombear then just ping me a PM with your address and I'll post some to you. I got a bucket of the stuff from Grimes Graves for Dave Budd, I'm sure he won't miss a couple of pieces

Either bung some money in a charity tin or do a swap for some Flax Linen?

[tombear]

I've just put 4 yards of 60 inch pure flax linen through the washer and drier and to my delight in the driers filter there was a big wad of fluffy linen felt, for want of a better term. Herself religiously cleans the filter after each load so it's pretty damn pure.

it should make some excellent tinder, I may try to char it some to see how well it takes a spark.

ATB

Tom

[Toddy]

It's good stuff that lint, but.....how much fabric conditioner did you use ?
I find it's worth my while just doing a plain water wash and a tumble for the first wash of the linen so that my lint from the tumbler is sound

cheers,
M

[tombear]

Er?, fabric conditioner? well, none, I was just trying to shrink it so I wouldn't cry big wet tears when I washed the finished hunting shirt for the first time and it shrunk to fit a normal sized hume'..

Its just taken two and a half hours tto iron it flat enough to be ready to cut out the pieces.....

It's tightened up a lot anyroad.

ATB

Tom

[Toddy]

It can be a right pain trying to soften linen.
We wear our chemises as nightgowns and wash and dry them daily for a couple of weeks and that makes a tremendous difference.

Instead of the major fold creases that are a pain in the backside to iron out, the linen ends up with loads of tiny micro fractures that allows it to flex more, and it certainly makes ironing a lot easier.
We advise the menfolks to wear their sarks as bedshirts for a while too, it just makes everything easier.

cheers,
M

[Celt_Ginger]

I remember I did a test a good while back where I made char cloth for linen, denim, yellow duster and car polishing cloths. I don't remember all the details now, but the Linen definately burnt the hottest ( I checked the temperatures using a thermal temperature gauge that I borrowed from work)